Summer Stargazing
by jeez12
Summary: Thom and Alanna bonding
1. Chapter 1

"Can you see the Goddess?" Thom asked his sister. They were lying on the spongy summer grass behind Myles' house in the middle of the night. George, Buri, Thayet, Liam, Coram and Rispah had joined them, lounging in chairs or sitting on the grass. The twins, however, lay with their heads side by side, their bodies in opposite directions. When Liam had asked about their peculiar behavior it was Coram to explain that stargazing in this very manner had long been a pastime of the Trebond twins. Then he proceeded to shake his head and laugh, urging Liam not to try to understand the quirks that the twins portrayed when together. It wasn't worth the headache.

"Over there," Alanna answered, pointing to the left at a constellation of stars. She turned her head to look at her brother and he did the same, mirroring her smile. "I missed this"

"Me too. I haven't lain on the grass for ages. And I haven't seen the constellations in anything other than books for just as long," He turned back to the stars. "I'm glad you're home."

"I'm glad I'm home, too. It is good to be warm again," she took a deep breath, smelling the warm summer air and shifted in the grass.

"Is that the only reason you returned?" George called from his chair a few feet away. "To gaze at the stars and enjoy the warm air?"

Alanna turned to stick her tongue out at him, laughing and enjoying the mischief in his eyes. Liam smiled as well, enjoying this new side of her. He noticed that, although Alanna worried constantly about her twin's health, Thom always managed to bring a light to her eyes that Liam had never seen before. It was clear to everyone that she loved to be with her twin. She was probably the only one.

Suddenly, Alanna felt foreign objects on her face: Thom had tossed a handful of grass onto her when she was distracted. "Thom!" she scolded, fighting the urge to laugh as she wiped her face. She turned to face her twin, who was grinning with mirth. "Don't make me dunk you in a pond again. I can do it you know!"

"Oh, I am well aware of that sir knight," he teased. "I am the one who dubbed you the Lioness after all."

"Really?" Thayet asked.

"No you didn't," Alanna argued.

'Well, maybe I didn't call you that but I made you your shield and came up with idea. No one would have called you the Lioness if I hadn't put one on your shield,"

"You've got a point," she relented. "I guess I'm glad you didn't put a spider or something gross on it."

"No. Lioness suits you. Besides, it reminds me of when we set those lions of cook so that he wouldn't tell Father about the cherry pies. Do you remember?"

Alanna laughed, and Coram guffawed. "I knew it was ye two! The both of ye have taken years off my life, all the tricks ye pulled. Enough to drive a man mad." Alanna just laughed harder as Thom lifted his head in order to raise an eyebrow at Coram.

"I think it was a good thing we drove you a little mad, Coram. Otherwise you would have taken Alanna straight back when you figured out we had switched."

Coram blushed and Rispah laughed, hugging him around the shoulders in consolation. Thom grew serious. "We owe you everything Coram. Thank you. But I'm sure Alanna has told you that."

Coram nodded at his young master. He had never particularly taken to his mistress' twin but she loved him and Coram liked to see her happy. "I'm proud of both of ye. Yer mother would've been proud, too. As to yer father, well ye both know what he would've said."

"A disgrace to the family!" Alanna supplied, jokingly. "Dragging out great family through the mud!"

"Thom, how dare you disobey me!? But I am still proud of your success. However, Trebond no longer has a daughter Alanna," Thom continued harshly.

"I wish you had died instead of your mother," Alanna went on softly, gazing back up to the stars, all joking gone from her voice.

Thom turned suddenly to her, eyes wide. Everyone focused on her, trying to read the emotions of her face. "He said that to you?" He asked, shocked.

Alanna nodded. "It was mother's birthday. You know how he got then. We were six. You were reading in your room and I was playing chess with one of the servants. Father stormed into the room and knocked the board over. He picked me up and shook me hard. I had bruises on my arms from where he was holding me for weeks. I started to cry. I kept saying 'I didn't do anything, Papa' over and over but he just yelled at me: 'You little worthless thing. She died! And for what? A girl. A pathetic girl! If you'd been a boy it wouldn't have been as bad. But no!' He kept shaking me, and I cried harder. I begged him to put me down. The servant just sat there, stunned. 'I wish you had died. I wish you had died instead of your mother! She is gone because of you! You killed her! She was fine after Thom but you killed her! I wish it had been you!' Finally, the footman heard him and rushed in, urging him to put me down. Sometime when he had been yelling, I can't remember when, he scared me so that I stopped screaming. I just stared at him while he raved. When he finally put me down, I ran away, up the stairs and into my room. I hid in the closet all night. That is where Coram found me in the morning. I told him I'd had a bad dream."

"Bastard." Alanna was shocked out of her memories. Liam's eyes were pure emerald and his fists were clenched. He was furious. George was as well. Coram simply looked shocked. He had known that Lord Alan hadn't loved his children but this!

"He was drunk. And he loved her," Alanna replied.

"That is no excuse!" That was Buri. Thayet sat next to her, stunned. Alanna and she had more in common than she had thought. Her father, too, was not deserving of a daughter.

Alanna shrugged. "It was a long time ago. I have a new family now." She smiled, looking around her. When she met Thom's eyes, her smile faded. They were filled with such sorrow.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly.

"I didn't want to upset you."

"You don't always have to take care of me, you know. You can let me take care of you every once in a while. That is what I'm here for."

"I know. And I'm glad you're here. I missed you a lot these past years. It is nice to have my other half back with me. I've been missing parts of me for a long time," she smiled at him and then turned back up to the stars. "Can you find Mithros?" She asked, continuing their game.


	2. Chapter 2

Three days after their stargazing game, Alanna didn't wake up at for her usual workout with Liam. Curious as to why Alanna had yet to enter the practice yard Liam decided to check on her before exercising. After spending every morning teaching her and watching her progress over the past few months, he knew that she was not one to simply decide to skip a training session. She was too serious about learning Shang and that was what allowed her to excel. Liam was extremely impressed with her progress, though of course he could never tell _her _that. Liam smiled. It would go right to her head.

After knocking on her door a few times to no avail, Liam decided to make sure she was alright. She lay on her bed, the dawn light casting a hazy light into her fiery hair, creating a vibrant and exotic shade. But Liam was far too concerned with her pale face and the fact that she had thrown the covers off despite her propensity to be cold. He walked to the side of her bed and felt her head, surprised when his warm hand met her very damp forehead. It was on fire. She moaned and shifted under him, obviously uncomfortable. The heat bothered him. Her fever had to be very high. Hurriedly, he left the room and headed for Eleni's.

A few minutes later, a very tired but alert Eleni laid a hand against the knight's forehead and felt for her pulse in her wrist. It was slow and steady: no danger. Eleni breathed a sigh of relief. It was silly to think Alanna suffered from anything more than a fever but Lord Thom's current condition had made her nervous for his twin. She ordered Liam to fetch her healer's bag and some damp clothes and then to go about his day. He had done all he could. Despite Eleni's care, however, Alanna's fever did not go down all day.

Everyone in the house took turns sitting next to her bed, reading to her or just holding her hands and laying damp clothes against her forehead. They were very worried: she had lost so much weight during the sea journey and was her body was still recuperating. It wasn't strong enough yet to conquer this fever. Eleni gave Alanna all the cures she knew. Now all they could do was wait for Alanna's system to fight it off. It was only a fever after all. Just a very stubborn one.

Myles informed her friends and Thom about his twin's condition when he rode to the palace for the council meeting. After hearing what medicines Eleni had given her, Duke Baird assured Myles and the others that the lady knight would be fine after some rest but Jon promised to ride back with Myles and see his old friend nevertheless. Thom, however, was not so easily assuaged. He frantically counted down the hours while he finished an intricate spell to help Jon with the Dominion Jewel. He knew Alanna would have been upset with him if he had stopped in the middle of so important an endeavor in order to sit by her bed. In fact, that might have been enough for her to make good on her threat and find a nice little fish pond.

Finally, a few hours after dinner, Thom found himself sitting next to his very pale twin. She was almost as pale as he was! Thom held her hand and talked about the tricks they had played at Trebond. Finally, in the middle of Thom's recollection of the afternoon when they had rolled down one of the hills near Trebond and were scolded by the housekeeper for the grass stains and tears in their clothes, Alanna's eyes fluttered open and she twisted her head to look out the window.

"Can you see the stars?" Thom asked, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Yes," her voice was a thread. She turned her gaze to her brother. "What time is it?"

"I don't know. Late. You've been asleep all day," he put a hand to her forehead and sighed with relief. "Your fever broke. You gave us all a bit of a scare. I don't think George could sit still all day."

"Why were you all so worried? It is just a little fever. It isn't uncommon," she said, her voice still weak.

"I think it is just the tension in the air. It is like everyone is waiting on a knife's edge. One little thing could send us all falling off. I don't think they were really worried, they just didn't like the timing because you are so skinny from being seasick and I think they thought that maybe something would go wrong with you like it is with me. We are Gifted twins, after all. It wouldn't be unheard of for you to suffer some of the consequences of my actions. Remember how I could tell when you frightened or hurt when we were little? Now that we're together again, the same thing happens."

"Well I'm fine," Thom raised his eyebrows and she amended "or I will be, once I have a chance to rest. I can't afford to miss anymore practices."

"You've missed one!" her brother exclaimed. "Give yourself another day to recover."

His stubborn sister shook her head. "I'm afraid to, Thom. I don't like the atmosphere in Corus. It is making me very uneasy. You are right about the knife edge. I'm waiting for Roger to make his first move. I know he is up to something. I can feel it in my bones," she grinned at her twin, "After everything that happened with him, I have developed a bit of a sixth sense when it comes to Roger. I can't prove anything yet but while his Gift may have been left in his grave his ambition certainly wasn't."

"Hush," Thom commanded gently, giving her hand a squeeze. "You can take a break from acting as the great protector of the world for one day. Just rest and get better, okay? Besides, I don't think Liam is even going to let you practice. He was quite worried when none of Eleni's medicines were working. If you won't stab me for saying it, I think he cares very deeply about you."

Alanna sighed. "He does," she plucked at the sheets, "but it's complicated. I don't really want to talk about it." She knew breaking things off with the Dragon had been the best choice but she had yet to figure out where things stood now. It was harder to slip into friendship with Liam than it was with Jon, probably because she had been friends with Jon before they became lovers. With Liam, they were in new territory and it was rocky territory at that.

She yawned. This chat had worn her out. "Go back to bed, Alanna. I'll come visit tomorrow. Sleep in, lay about, relax," she opened her mouth to protest so he quickly added, with pleading in his eyes, "For me?" After staring at him for a moment, she nodded, fighting with her drooping eyelids. He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Good night, sister dear. I love you. Get better." She closed her eyes and drifted off and he returned to the palace, feeling better than he had all day.


	3. Chapter 3

Thom found her on the window seat in one of the westward facing rooms, wrapped in blankets and sipping tea as she gazed at the sunset.

"How is the invalid today?" he asked, strolling into the room and pulling an armchair closer to where she sat. "Feeling any better?" he queried as he sat down.

She flashed him a bright smile. "Much better, thanks, but Eleni wants me to rest and drink more tea than I ever wanted to drink in my entire life and every time I argue or try to pour it into the plants, she has one of her very willing foot soldiers, my so-called friends, come in and stop me. They love me you know." She laughed.

"I am well aware of that. You got very lucky. You managed to find yourself a new family," his voice had a melancholy hint that would have been missed by anyone but his twin.

"If you let them, they would be yours too," she squeezed his hand. "And you always, always have me. No matter what happens."

"Sound like you're talking about the near future," he responded perceptively.

Alanna sighed and turned her gaze back to the sunset, which flared bright pink across the western sky. "I told you," she replied, "I just have a bad feeling. I'm waiting for someone to jump, for something to happen." She balled her hands up into fists. "I hate waiting."

Thom said nothing, feeling the worry rolling off his twin. Now that they were back together again, their emotions seemed so much more potent. He knew that twins often had connections but the amount of the Gift they shared seemed to amplify everything. He could feel her anxiety in his very bones.

"You seem ready to jump, too."

She turned back to look at him. "I don't like sitting still, you know that. I like to be busy. I've little to do except go to council meetings and worry, worry , worry. All we talk about are the rumors and the threats but until we get something concrete, I can't act. It is my job to keep Jon safe but right now I'm fighting the shadows of ghosts." The frustration was plain in her eyes.

"What does George say about all of this?"

Alanna sighed. "I don't think he is telling me half of what he knows and I don't think even he knows half of what is going on. Claw has been a clear threat for months but he has intimidated most of the lower city and no one will talk. I can tell George is worried but he can only trust a handful of people now. Claw has got him backed into a corner. Luckily, Claw underestimated George. The fool didn't think George would exhaust every option, including breaking the Rogue's law, to protect his people." Alanna smiled. She didn't have any sympathy with those who underestimated George. As she remembered her own dealings with Claw's agents, she became serious again. She searched her brother's eyes and bit her lip, debating whether or not to reveal a certain piece of information. "Don't tell George," she warned, "but I had a run in with Claw myself while I was in Maren." Thom's fire-red eyebrows rose and his pale amethyst eyes widened. "He sent men to kill me. I don't understand why though. Clearly they meant to hurt George by hurting me but it would have taken months for the news to even reach him, never mind the fact that they went through an awful lot of trouble to hunt me down. There are many others closer to home that would have served the same purpose."

Thom shook his head. "The same purpose? I don't think so. George loves you more than anyone. All anyone has to do is watch him look at you when you aren't looking at him. During those moments, his eyes betray the depth of his feelings for you. Even I didn't realize how much he cared about you until I caught him staring at you when you were showing Jon that new spell the other day. So to correct your faulty assumption that killing someone else would've caused George the same amount of pain, I'd say that your death would hurt him more than anyone else's could."

"I don't know if that is true anymore, Thom. It was once…since I was fifteen. But now, with Liam," she shook her head, "I just don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"He kissed me when I returned home but other than that he has been nothing but a friend. I'm afraid I hurt him by getting involved with Liam. We never said we would wait for each other like Coram and Rispah did but maybe he thought it didn't need to be said. Maybe he thinks I betrayed him." She turned sad eyes to the window and Thom reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Please don't worry about this now. You have enough on your plate already. Just trust me, ok? He loves you."

Alanna simply squeezed his hand in reply.


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: I know it is really short and it has been FOREVER since I updated so I am very very sorry and thank you for sticking with me! _

The next day Alanna was up and about. She practiced with Liam, although it seemed to her that Liam went a little easy on her, and then she met Thayet and Buri for breakfast. Now it was mid-morning and Alanna decided to go out for a ride through the lower city. As she was saddling Moonlight, she heard a footstep in the hay. She turned to find George leaning against Moonlight's stall.

"Just where do you think you're goin'?" He asked with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

"Well, I was planning to ride through the city. Would you like to come with me?" She asked, smiling at him. A grin spread across the thief's face. He nodded and then stepped into the next stall and began saddling his horse Beauty.

Alanna looked at him quizzically as he worked. "You were coming with my whether I asked or not, weren't you?" The tall thief just laughed in reply and all Alanna could do was shake her head and chuckle. Telling George that she could take care of herself had never worked before and there was no point in wasting her breath.

Half an hour later they were riding a residential area of the lower city. People were bustling about with their household chores. Many a woman was sweeping out her front door or patching clothes in front of her house, enjoying the sun. Alanna, however, was deep in thought and had remained silent throughout most of the ride, George silently watching their surroundings and allowing her the freedom to let her mind wander. The sound of her warm name called her back to the present. She turned towards the sound to find a little girl with flowing blonde locks and a patched dress gazing up at her in awe with wide blue eyes. Alanna favored the girl with a smile and brought Moonlight to a stop. She dismounted and knelt so that she was on the same level as the girl.

Holding out her hand, she said, "Hello. I'm Alanna. What's your name?"

The girl hesitantly shook Alanna's offered hand. "Leah," she managed to stammer out. She was not used to interacting with nobles much less the most famous knight in Tortall. But this woman was kind and warm and had a smile too friendly to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Hello Leah. This is my friend George," Alanna said, indicating the man who now stood behind her.

"Oh I know him. He's the Rogue."

That took Alanna by surprised. "How does a girl your age know who the Rogue is? And aren't you afraid of thieves like him?"

"Mama told me what he looked like. She also said that His Majesty isn't like other thieves. Mama said he is a good man. He keeps us safe," Leah replied, smiling at George who grinned and winked in return.

Alanna had to smile, "He is a good man. One of the best."

"Leah!" a woman's voice called from within the house. Leah's mother stepped through the door and, seeing her company, gasped. "Great Mother, Alanna the Lioness! And the Rogue! Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

Alanna stood, "No thank you, madam. We were just riding through and we'll be on our way again soon."

"Oh please don't leave just yet," Leah begged, "I wanted to ask you how you got the name "Lioness"!"

Alanna smiled at the girl, "No one has ever asked me that before. My brother gave it to me. Well, he made me my shield which had the lioness on it." Alanna turned back to Moonlights saddlebag and reached in. Turning around again, she presented a small red and yellow pin to Leah. "My man-at-arms wears one just like it. It is a replica of my shield."

"For me?" Leah asked, amazed.

"I think we need all the Lionesses we can get right now, don't you?"

Leah nodded, tracing the edges of the miniature shield with her fingers, still awed. Her mother took Alanna by surprise and pulled her into a swift hug. "Beggin' your pardon, my Lady," she said when she released her, "but we are so glad you have returned home. We need you now more than ever and it is such a relief to have you back. We've been so frightened. Of course, I've tried not to show that to the child. I just let her stay a child and indulge her dreams. She wants to fight like you but whenever we talk about it, she says girls like her have never been allowed to fight. I tell her that just because it is the way things are, doesn't mean it has to be the way things will be."

Alanna gazed down at the girl, now showing a crouched George her new gift, "You are a very good mother," she said with great feeling.

The woman gently gripped Alanna's shoulders and the young knight looked into her bright blue eyes, filled with sincerity, "And you, Lady Knight, are a very great lady."


	5. Chapter 5

Alanna and George returned to the stable half an hour later. They were grooming their horses silently, Alanna thinking about her conversation with the woman. She sighed audibly. George finished and came to lean against the door to Moonlight's stall, waiting for Alanna to voice what was on her mind.

"I spent all these years just trying to be a knight," she said, scratching Moonlight's head, "I never thought that people would pay any attention to me, except to disapprove of me. That little girl thinks I'm a hero," Alanna shook her head at the insanity of such an idea; "I haven't done anything heroic. I got the jewel to prove myself to King Roald and the court as well as to help the country, but it was mainly to benefit myself. I got it for somewhat selfish reasons and because I was restless and looking for adventure. That isn't heroic."

She met George's eyes and, to her surprise, found that they were bright with amusement.

"Lass, she thinks you're a hero because you did things no one thought were possible. Your reasons for doin' them don't matter. To her, you are a real live fairly tale."

Alanna sighed again, not particularly liking the idea of her being a hero. She just wanted to be a knight. That was enough for her. George laughed, guessing what she was thinking.

"Lass, I don't know how you thought this wasn't goin' to happen. The first lady knight in over a century and people were just supposed to ignore you?" He laughed again, making her smile and blush at her own folly. "Being a hero doesn't change who you are or how you need to act. Nor does it change how your friends are goin' to treat you. I'm sure Gary or Raoul would be more than happy to put you in your place if your head ever got too big for your shoulders. We have always expected great things from you." He tousled her hair. "Come on inside, I'm starvin'."

She grinned and followed. He looked down at her with a wicked look in his hazel eyes. "If you want people to stop thinkin' you are so wonderful, maybe you should just make them dinner." Alanna scowled up at him and playfully punched his arm.

They were surprised to find Thom in House Olau. Alanna ran forward and gave her too-hot twin a hug which he returned enthusiastically. "I thought I'd save you the trip to the palace and visit you instead," he explained, releasing her. "Myles was kind enough to invite me to dinner."

As the others arrived, they took their seats around Myles' long dining room table. Thom was in an especially good mood and listened eagerly to Thayet's ideas about a school for the common born. Although Thom had no interest in the welfare of the citizens of the lower city as a whole, he could not resist the chance to discuss learning of any kind. It was his passion and so Alanna watched as he and Thayet talked about what subjects would be the most important and what books they should try to acquire for the school.

"I found a list of books that Father thought were important to Alanna's and my education. I can pass those on to you if you like," he told her.

"That would be wonderful," Thayet exclaimed, "I have found that the hardest thing about these projects is simply starting them. Just to have a list to get things moving would be a help to me. When did you find this list?"

"Oh, I packed up all of Father's notes before coming to the palace. He was an avid scholar himself so they have been helpful in my studies. I have learned a lot about him through those scrolls because, as you already know, he didn't have a lot of time with us."

Thayet nodded and Alanna looked over at her twin. "What kind of things?" she asked.

Thom hesitated slightly; he was now thinking he should have kept his mouth shut. "Just some plans he was making," he answered, hoping she would drop it. But of course, being who she was, that was wishful thinking and he knew it.

"What kind of things?"

Thom sighed, "Well the main one was that he was making plans for your marriage."

Alanna lowered the spoonful of soup that was halfway to her mouth, stunned. "What?" The others looked at her, just as shocked.

"To the Lord of Martis Hill. They had nearly reached an agreement as well but luckily, father died and the plans fell through."

"The Lord of Martis Hill?" Myles asked, stunned. "How could Lord Alan ever give his daughter to a beast of a man like that? He treats his horses better than his family!" Alanna was now staring into space lost in thought, a horrified look on her face.

Thom glanced briefly at his sister before turning to Myles. "Father wrote to him, explaining that she was very spirited and that he hoped that the Lord would be able to tame her. Lord Melot replied that he would enjoy breaking a spirited filly and not to worry, she would be meek and obedient by the time he was through with her."

Liam's eyes had slowly turned the bright emerald they were when he was furious, the glass he was holding in his hand shattered as he squeezed it in his anger. Buri looked positively fierce and started speaking quickly in K'miri to Thayet about the wickedness of nobles. George, on the other hand, just watched Alanna as her eyes stayed wide with shock. He wanted to hold her but he knew that this was neither the time nor the place.

"Lord Melot even had the nerve to approach me after Father passed, asking to continue the "exchange" he called it. He would take Alanna off Father's hands and in return receive her fairly sizable dowry. You know he has gambling problems," he continued, looking at Myles, who nodded. "Well, I, of course, told him that if he ever spoke to Alanna or approached me about the topic again, I would cast a spell on him that would," Thom blushed slightly, "well it would make it difficult for him to have a wedding night."

"Thank the Gods Father died," Alanna whispered, still with the stunned look in her face into which an overwhelming sadness was slowly creeping. Then she realized what she had said. "No, that's an awful thing to say. I just never even thought about what would happen if Father took an interest in what I was doing before I got my shield. I never thought he would care about what happened to me after he sent me to the convent. I should have known he would've been planning my marriage. I just can't believe he picked Lord Melot." She was so bewildered and for some reason, so frightened. _It had been so close_, she thought. If Lord Alan hadn't have died, he may have ruined her cover. She would never have gotten her shield, never had adventures, never have made love with Jon, or George, or Liam. Thinking back now, it was a great privilege that she got to _choose_ the men she slept with. They were good and kind and cared for her. Lord Melot would never have cherished her or seen her as an equal that should be treated with respect. She raked both her hands through her hair, pulling it back tight from her face as these thoughts flowed through her mind. It wasn't until she felt someone pulling her hands away that she dragged her consciousness out of that dark chasm of possibilities. She found herself looking into Thom's very concerned eyes, recognizing now his sweltering grip.

"Calm down," he ordered in a soft voice, drawing her into a hug and rubbing her back. "Calm down. It didn't happen; it won't happen, I promise."

Alanna squeezed her eyes shut and took deep breaths. She didn't really understand why her reaction to this news was so severe. It was, after all, nothing more than information. It was just that it had given her a very painful glance at what could have been and she shuddered at the thought, Thom hugging her tighter. When she got herself under control, she pushed back and he tucked some hair behind her hair before kissing her forehead and returning to his seat. Thayet, who was sitting next to Alanna, hugged her around the shoulders.

"I know just how you feel, Alanna," she said. "My father was in marriage talks with some less than chivalrous nobles as well. I thank the Gods everyday that you, Liam, and Coram found us."

"I can't believe your own fathers would do something like that to you," Liam said. "How could they be so heartless?"

Thayet was the one to answer him, "In noble houses, Liam, girls are worth no more than the wealth they can bring their family through marriage, as you well know. Alanna and I were taught at an early age, through our fathers' neglect and attitude towards us, that we were worth little to them. Some noble girls are luckier. Cythera of Elden, for example, is doted on by her father who won't force her to marry anyone. Alanna and I were just not one of the lucky ones. It is merely the attitude of the age. In the eyes of the nobility, Alanna's father did not act in a disagreeable way, though his choice of such a cruel man may have been a source of interest for many at court."

During her explanation, George continued to watch Alanna from his place beside her. She wasn't really paying attention, instead twisting the napkin in her lap. He reached out and took her hands softly in his, meeting her anguish filled eyes. "Lass, there's no point worryin' yourself over this. You know that," he said, softly so the others couldn't hear.

"I know, I just keep thinking that I would never," she blushed, "well I would never have gotten to be with you. Ever. And that hurt."

George smiled and rubbed her hands. "What? So you don't believe like should wed like anymore?" It got the desired response: she laughed and the misery flew out of her eyes.

Shaking her head, she said, "George, you knew from the start the only reason I said that was because I was afraid of love. I'm not afraid anymore. And I certainly won't let something as small as my nobility stand in the way if I do get married." She smiled at him, squeezing his hands in return and then withdrawing them. They both turned back to the table and started planning a trip to the catacombs the next morning with Buri.

Thom watched the exchange with interest, noting how George could set Alanna's mind at ease with just a few short words. He watched as she instantly relaxed when he took her hands and that the tension bled away from her, as if she were thawing out. He liked what he saw.


End file.
